This is how we created the wildlife ponds in our nature reserve – the Lennon Legacy Project (LLP) – which is managed for Barn Owls. The ponds help encourage as wide a biodiversity as possible.
-
- First we monitored ground water level in a test hole.
-
- Then the ground was cleared
-
- The overflow pipes for the lower pond were installed.
-
- Then the lower pond was dug…
-
- …and clay-lined.
-
- The top pond was then excavated.
-
- As soon as the plastic liner was installed it filled with rainwater.
-
- The island was created from wire gabions and rocks excavated on-site.
-
- Unfortunately ground water caused the pond liner to balloon upwards!
-
- When a new contractor drained the pond to fix it we realised there were fish in it!
-
- This is the biggest Trout we found. We released them all in the river.
-
- The liner was eventually removed…
-
- …and replaced with a mix of powdered clay (bentonite) and mud.
-
- Before too long the site was all green again. This one is named the Flo Pond in memory of Florence Parsons.
-
- This one is named the Oakley Pond in memory of Major Charles Oakley.
-
- Dragonfly watching during a Barn Owl Trust guided walk.
-
- A visiting Kingfisher! Herons visit too and ducks have nested on the island.
Click on a photo to scroll through the gallery. Click on the black background or press esc. to return to this page.
- To find out how we manage and maintain our wildlife ponds, and all about the creatures that are spotted and recorded in and around them, read the latest LLP wildlife diary.
- To see our wildlife ponds, please book a guided walk around the LLP.